Thursday November 29th Local Sports

MASON CITY – NIACC freshman Jada Buford was selected as the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division II national player of the week for the week of Nov. 19-26 on Wednesday.

Buford was also selected as the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference player of the week for the week of November 19th through the 26th on Tuesday.

It is the second time this season a NIACC women’s player has received the national weekly honor. Freshman Mandy Willems was the national player of the week for the week of October 29th through November 3rd.

Before this season, the last time a NIACC women’s player earned national player of the week honors was Courtney Larson in the first week of the 2016-17 season.

Buford scored a career-high 40 points in a 117-95 win over No. 20 Bryant & Stratton last Sunday. She also added a 21-point performance in the Lady Trojans win over Kalamazoo Valley.

On the year, Buford is averaging 25.8 points per game, third-best in Division II. She has also connected on 31 three-pointers this season, which is fifth best among all DII shooters.

No. 10 NIACC (6-2 overall) returns to action Friday and Saturday at the Great Western Classic on the Iowa Central campus. The Lady Trojans face Northeast CC on Friday and NDSCS on Saturday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Learfield Sports has suspended Iowa play-by-play broadcaster Gary Dolphin for two games for negative comments directed at Hawkeyes guard Maishe Dailey that inadvertently made it to the air during a commercial break. Iowa says that Dolphin, who has broadcast Hawkeyes games for over 20 years, will miss upcoming games against No. 22 Wisconsin and at No. 9 Michigan State after comments dismissive of Dailey’s play aired during a 69-68 win over Pittsburgh.

IOWA CITY — The Big Ten/ACC Challenge will provide a big one for the 14th ranked Iowa Hawkeye women tonight when they visit top ranked and defending national champion Notre Dame. Coach Lisa Bluder says it is one they are looking forward too.

At 4-1, Bluder says the Hawkeyes will need to be outstanding in all phases to have a chance.

Bluder says it is as big of a challenge as the Hawkeyes will face all season.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Robert Covington scored 21 points, Karl-Anthony Towns and Derrick Rose each had 16 and the Minnesota Timberwolves shut down the San Antonio Spurs for a 128-89 victory. Minnesota earned its fourth straight win to get to .500 for the first time since Oct. 31. Taj Gibson scored 13 points, and rookie Josh Okogie made three 3-pointers on his way to 12 points.

IRVING, Texas- For the second year in a row, Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell was honored for his coaching efforts by earning 2018 Big 12 Conference Co-Coach of the Year accolades, selected by the league’s coaches and announced Wednesday by the conference office.

Campbell, who shared the award with Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley, was the 2017 Big 12 Coach of the Year. He’s won or shared the conference coach of the year award in three of his last four seasons (Campbell was the 2015 MAC Coach of the Year at Toledo).

Picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll, Campbell and his Cyclones proved that last season wasn’t a fluke, compiling a 7-4 overall record and tying for third in the Big 12 at 6-3, the best conference finish in 40 years.

ISU’s six conference victories is the most in a season by a Cyclone team in school history.

AMES — Iowa State safety Lawrence White says the Cyclones are glad they have a 12th game. ISU hosts Drake on Saturday in a game that was arranged to replace the season opener against South Dakota State that was cancelled by the weather.

It also gives the Cyclones a chance to play another home game.

White says they are treating this like any other game.

Senior tight end Sam Seonbuchner (scebe-buckner) says they are not taking the Bulldogs lightly.

Kickoff on Saturday is scheduled for 11 o’clock

CEDAR FALLS — The Northern Iowa Panthers will visit UC-Davis on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Aggies are 9-2 and claimed a share of the Big Sky Conference title under former Colorado and Boise State coach Dan Hawkins.

That’s UNI coach Mark Farley, who says the UC-Davis offense will be a big test for the Panther defense.

Farley says the Aggies are a typical Big Sky team in their style of play.

Farley says in-game adjustment will be critical.

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings had reason to be worried about cornerback Xavier Rhodes when he limped off the field last week with a hamstring injury. Tom Brady is the next opposing quarterback when the team visits New England. Rhodes, though, has “a good chance” of playing against the Patriots, according to coach Mike Zimmer. Regardless of how Rhodes fares over the rest of the week, promising rookie Holton Hill will need to be ready for action.